Costcutter delays decision on supply contract

New Costcutter chief executive Darcy Willson-Rymer says he is “in no hurry” to make a decision on the group’s new supply contract, despite going past the deadline originally set by the board.

Speaking at the group’s annual exhibition this morning, Willson-Rymer said that he wanted to go through all the available options in detail before making a decision. Costcutter’s current deal with Nisa expires in the summer of 2014.

“Everyone appears to be in a hurry about this, and to some extent we created that, but we won’t jeopardise any ongoing negotiations by revealing anything at this moment in time. It’s difficult to say when we’ll be ready with all the detail.”

Willson-Rymer, who has been in the role for a week, added that he is taking time to learn about the business before devising and executing any new strategies.

“What’s clear is that Costcutter is an excellent brand, and there is more we can do to develop it,” he said. “The key thing is what happens to customers when they enter the store, in terms of quality, availability and service.”